The Gatekeeper's Past
by TeatimeTurbulence
Summary: After the first war, the Weasleys take in an orphaned girl with a troubled past. By the time they realize that she is a weapon created by Voldemort's followers, she has already formed a magical attachment to their twin sons. But with the dark lord vanquished, all seems well… until he returns. Fluffy, slow-build, (FW/OC/GW). Previously called Bedtime Stories
1. Book 1: Chapter 1

**This story is currently being re-written. The general plot will stay the same, but details and timeline will be a bit different. If you're a returning reader, bare with me as I go through. Trust me, the story will be a lot better for it.**

 **There will be a lot of point of view switches in this chapter. It's necessary to establish the plot. However, the story after this chapter will primarily focus on Elvira, Fred, and George. I hope you enjoy!**

"Elvira! It's time for your medicine." My mother waited on the other side of my bedroom door for me to let her in. Usually, she wouldn't knock, but the tray she held required two hands. I knew this routine.

I sat still for a moment, clutching Andromeda. The plush cat complied limply to my hold, button eyes blank but familiar. In the stillness of the moment, I imagined that I was a gatekeeper. That I would have the final say of who could cross my threshold. In this world I might sometimes permit my mother access. Though I hated the shots that typically accompanied her appearance, she would also bring gifts sometimes in the form of sweets or toys. My father on the other hand, came along with sharp metal prodders and syringes that he would use to remove liters of my blood at a time. I often felt weak for hours after his visits. In my world, he would be strictly forbidden from entry. I slowly stroked Andromeda's head as I relaxed into the fantasy.

"Elvira! Open the door!" My mother yelled louder.

I got up and opened the door. She was clearly annoyed at my hesitation, but not as much as a glance at her face might lead some people to believe. My mother always looked tired, with bags under her eyes and frown lines. Her well kempt hair was beginning to grey, despite her moderate age. From the interactions I had observed between my mother and her peers, which were not frequent, she was a feared and respected woman.

She didn't say a word to me as she came in and set the tray down on my nightstand. These exchanges between us were often silent. Sometimes I liked to believe that it was because she didn't enjoy them either. It was easier this way, without us looking each other in the eye.

I sat down on the edge of my bed and rolled up my sleeve. She kneeled in front of me and pressed down firmly on my forearm, searching for a vein that hadn't already been devastated. It hurt a little but I had learned the hard way that it was easier to stay still. Once she found a spot, she cleaned it with antiseptic on a cotton ball. She was preparing the needle when a loud crash sounded from downstairs, followed by a shout. My mother froze, and then slowly lowered the needle back onto the tray so that it wouldn't clang.

"Get in the cupboard and don't make a noise." Once she saw that I intended to follow her instruction, she promptly turned to leave.

I shut the cupboard door behind me and sat down on the floor. I could sense magic in the air, so I knew that it must be the source of all the crashing going on below. After a period of silence, I heard a crash, and then a shriek that I knew to be my mother's. A chill ran through me, although I was not certain as to what had happened. A short time later, there was creaking on the stairs. Two sets of shoes, I decided.

I could see them enter through a crack in the door, a man and a woman, but not my parents. They wore clothes that my parents taught me to associate with the lower wizarding class. The woman's hand knit blouse was a jumble of colors that kept the eye from focusing on any single one. The couple both had red hair, a trait which I had heard my mother mock on a few occasions.

…Alestor Moody…

Alestor Moody approached the house in question. Several reports were made to the ministry in the last several days for noise disturbances and suspected dark magic. There were fewer of these reports after Lord Voldemort 's disappearance last year, but some of his followers still remained at large.

He knocked on the door. Maroon paint flaked off with each resounding tap. Overgrown ivy crept up the bricks and gutters, ensnaring the structure as if it were trying to squeeze it of its last breath.

When there was no response he knocked again, but there was still only silence from the foreboding house. With a quick charm, the door unhinged and fell in upon the foyer. Moody was a seasoned auror and now veteran, given the recently ended war. It still amazed him that through all The Order's efforts, an infant had put the whole thing to rest. The Daily Profit made it out to be a fluke, a coincidence. After all, no one had ever survived the killing curse. The Order knew otherwise however. Lily had sacrificed herself, used the last of her life force and all of her love to save her son, a beautiful tragedy that Moody could not easily forget.

Thoughts of her sacrifice swirled in his mind. Many members of The Order, friends and family, were lost in a short period of time and everyone grieved for someone. Now, a weary Alestor was determined to clean up the mess that was left behind.

He crept through the hall to what turned into a kitchen, searching for anything alarming. There was a team of aurors on stand by if anything should go amiss. One moment, the air was completely calm, and the next, a burst of commotion sent a green flash toward him, nearly missing him and instead shattering the china cabinet to his left. Moody raced around a corner into the dinning room to regroup and send a signal flair for backup.

That didn't buy him much time as the residents of the house, a witch and wizard, were quickly upon him. Caught off guard, Alestor made his best attempt at blocking the string of hexes being cast at him, barely giving him a second to throw in a curse of his own.

He threw a hex and instinctually knew it would land. As he watched the witch fall, a curse burst through his shield, striking him in the eye, sending him sprawling to the ground. He lost consciousness almost immediately.

When he awoke, several of his co-workers were about, examining the scene. Then he recognized Arthur and Molly Weasley standing to the side of him. Arthur must have been working late at the ministry and heard of the attack. When they noticed him stirring, Molly rushed over to see if he was ok. Arthur followed close behind.

"What happened?" Moody rasped.

"They fled," Arthur informed him, "bloody cowards."

"Arthur shush, Alestor should rest!" Molly cooed. Moody turned his attention to her then.

"Upstairs" he said, "The witch was guarding the staircase." And that was all he could muster before once again passing out.

…Molly Weasley…

Molly looked at Arthur warily, having guessed the situation. It wouldn't be the first time the order made a bust, only for a child to be left orphaned. Although the job had to be done, Molly had more sympathy for the kids than many of her peers. In most cases, they were young enough to have no real impression of their parents. They would have a perfectly fine chance of assimilating upon adoption. Or at least that's what she told herself, pushing the fact that Tom Riddle was an orphan to the back of her mind.

She walked upstairs cautiously with Arthur in pursuit. There was always a chance of encountering something dangerous. Once they came upon the bedroom, tellingly painted pink, Molly relaxed a little. The inside was well kept, much more tidy than any Weasley child's rooms. Molly often wished that they would leave their toys as is, if only for a day after she picked up. But this room was dreary. She found herself searching, hoping to find any sign of disarray.

She frowned when her eyes landed on the nightstand where the large needle still sat. Arthur wrapped it in a towel and tucked it safely away in his coat pocket for later examination.

A stuffed cat was left strewn on the bed, the only toy in sight. Filled with sickness, Molly instinctually moved toward the source of innocence. As she moved to pick it up though, a tiny gasp sounded from behind.

As the couple approached the cupboard, the door creaked open revealing large, watery grey eyes. A small figure sat hunched over, arms wrapped tightly around its own small frame. The girl startled both of them by speaking immediately. "What happened to my parents?"

Molly glanced at Arthur in the hope that he would have a response, but he appeared even more put out than his wife. "I don't think we need to worry around that right now dear. We won't hurt you, I promise." She held her hand out in the hopes that the girl would trust her. Instead of accepting, the child sat up straighter and uncrossed her arms, placing them palm up on her knees. The motion revealed track marks around the veins in her inner arms.

Arthur choked in horror, palming the needle in his pocket. "She must be what, four years old?"

"I'm six." The girl responded affirmatively.

"I'm Molly, and this is Arthur. What's your name dear?"

"Elvira."

"Well… Elvira, how would you like to come home with my husband and I?"

"Tell me what happened to my parents." She retracted, clearly not willing to take any evasion.

Arthur spoke before Molly could. "Your father was a bad man. The people I work with had to intervene, for the safety of everyone else, or, the majority of the wizarding world that is… Is he, is he the one that did that to you?" He merely gestured to her forearms, unwilling to look again.

She hesitated for a moment. "Yes. He was mean to me. He hurt me."

"Why don't you come stay with us dear, until we can find a more suitable situation, that is." Molly suggested. "I'm sure you'd get along smashingly with our family." To prove it, she pulled a family portrait from her pocket. Elvira looked over the photo for a while. The couple watched as her eyes locked onto Fred and George, ghosting back and forth between the two of them as they made faces at the camera. "Those are our twins, Fred and George. They're around your age. Just a year older."

Her face softened. Without looking up, she calmly demanded, "What happened to my parents?"

Arthur and Molly shared a look. Neither could be certain, even with their own children, how much information was alright to share. "Your father escaped." Her eyes shot up from the picture, alarm clear in her expression. "And your mother, well…" Elvira had already guessed the truth.

She looked back down at the photo as she processed. Molly handed it to her, as it seemed to be a source of comfort. Her fingers trailed over the moving images of Fred and George. Molly imagined that the poor girl had never had much interaction with other children. She glanced back at the singular stuffed toy on the bed.

"If I go with you," Elvira spoke, "will I be safe from my father?"

"We can guarantee it." Arthur assured her. "We'll take every precaution."

She still had not raised her eyes, but her head nodded as she contemplated. Then, without a word, she reached out and took Molly's hand.

They arrived back at the Burrow in the wee hours of the morning. Molly darted around the house as quietly as she could, not wanting to wake the other children. She arranged some blankets on the large, overstuffed couch and helped the girl into a pair of Fred and George's nightclothes. They were the closest to her size. The Chudley Cannons t-shirt still hung off of her thin shoulder and nearly stretched down to her knees like a dress.

The child was bright; Molly could tell by the way she spoke, clear and proper without the common lisps of children her age, along with the cautious, observant look in her eyes. There was wariness there that no child should have to bare. Molly associated her name, Elvira, negatively. There had been a Slytherin in her year at Hogwarts with that name, a downright nasty girl. The dead witches body had been covered by the time the Weasley's arrived, but now she wondered…

Molly babbled about the house and it's occupants, trying to make Elvira comfortable. She spoke of Fred and George, who she thought would make great playmates, while she fussed over the girl's knotty hair. Arthur finally stopped his wife's frantic mothering as she raced around the kitchen.

"Darling, this is the best we can do for the night. Let the girl sleep." He reasoned.

"Oh but Arthur, the poor thing must be terrified! I'm afraid to leave her alone." She whispered.

"Give her time love, you need your sleep too. We'll see what else we can do in the morning."

Sighing, Molly agreed and went back to the family room to ask once more if the girl needed anything and to inform her that their room was just up the stairs if she changed her mind. After saying goodnight, Arthur dragged a reluctant Molly to bed.

…Fred Weasley…

"Oy, George. George, wake up." I whispered as loud as I dared.

I looked at the door, partially cracked and letting in a bit of light from downstairs. I looked over at George, still dead asleep on the other half of the room. I looked back at the door. Mom would kill us if we were caught out of bed for the second night in a row. But the voices downstairs were muffled and the mystery would taunt me all night if I didn't get up. Carefully, I tiptoed over to George's bed and shook him awake.

George groaned. "What is it?" He could sometimes get a bit grumpy at being woken up. I was hoping the information down stairs would be good enough that he wouldn't hold it against me.

"Mom and dad just popped back in. Didn't know they'd left, but now mom's making all sorts of noise downstairs, and I think they're talking to someone."

"Right then." George got up quickly and I couldn't help but grin. Just as we were about to creep out the door, heavy footsteps started up the stairs. In a panic, we jumped back into the shadows, pressing ourselves against the walls. I held my breath as mom and dad passed by our door.

Once they closed the door to their room on the next level up, I whispered to George, "their room first", gesturing upward. He nodded in agreement.

Charlie always said that George and I were more like snakes than lions with the way we sneak around. Those words popped into my head as I carefully followed a memorized pattern of steps that would not make any noise on the floorboards. I suddenly felt the urge to drop a dung bomb in Charlie's trousers. Lions have to be stealthy too, or else they'd never eat.

We pressed our ears against mom and dads door. It didn't take long for them to start talking. "Do you think it was the right decision, bringing her here?" Mom sighed, doubt in her tone.

"I'm not sure dear, but it was either that or leave her in that closet. We can always drop her off somewhere in the morning, once facilities are open."

Mom didn't take well to that suggestion. "Oh, the idea of that alone makes me down right sick to the stomach, Arthur. She's a child!"

"I'm sorry dear, but we need to think of our family first. Her presence alone could place a target on our home."

"Did you put the wards up?"

"Yes dear, every one that I could think of."

"Alright, then we'll wait until morning to make any decisions. We should sleep on it."

We crept back down to the second floor before speaking. The night had turned out to be much more eventful than I had even imagined, "Sounds like we have a house guest Georgie".

"I suppose we should greet them?"

"You read my mind."

…Elvira…

I had yet to decide what I thought of the Burrow. It was cluttered and well lived in, unlike the clean minimalism of my family's home. My father enforced the tidiness. He believed that an organized space led to an organized mind. Despite my hatred for him, I was hesitant to disagree with this one principal. I could imagine how often objects were lost in the disarray of the Weasley's home. I grew up with few possessions. I never lost any of them. Andromeda lay on the couch next to me. I took her up in my arms.

I distracted myself for as long as I could by focusing on my surroundings. That's what I did whenever I was sad or in pain. My parents taught me that crying or throwing a fit wouldn't fix my problems. Still though, my vision was hindered in the darkness and the lack of stimulation allowed my thoughts to creep in.

My mother was dead. She never gave me many reasons to morn her, but still, I did. I knew already that this was an opportunity. Molly and Arthur had demonstrated more kindness toward me in a few hours than most of the people I had ever met combined. I should be happy. Still, tears poured from my eyes. I tried to tell my body to stop, that it wouldn't do any good. But I couldn't help it.

I sniffled, trying to clear the congestion that was quickly forming along with my misery. This brought something new to my attention. It was a scent unlike anything I had ever smelled. It was what I imagined heaven might smell like if it were on fire. I needed to find the source.

My eyes darted around frantically. I was afraid to leave the sanctity of the overstuffed couch. I couldn't see anything that would explain the smell. Then came a creek from a floorboard near the stairs.

"Bloody-hell" someone whispered angrily. They were crouched behind the large armchair across the room. The fact that someone had gotten so close without me noticing disturbed me.

"Who's there?" I demanded, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. After a moment, two figures reluctantly stood up from behind the chair. Immediately, I knew it was the twin boys from Molly's photograph, Fred and George. "What are you two doing down here?"

"What are we doing down here?" The one on the left started.

"We live here!" The second one whispered, exasperated.

"The real question is, what're you doing down here?" The first one finished. I felt embarrassed by their quick turn around. Obviously, I was the real intruder. I wasn't sure how to respond to the question. Suddenly, my situation seemed complicated.

"I… your mum…"

"What's your name?" The twin on the right interrupted me, which I wasn't particularly offended by. At least it was an easy question.

"Elvira."

"Elvira?" The one on the left gawked. "What's that, Latin for Evil?" He smirked at his own joke. His twin, who hadn't stopped looking at me, elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

"It was my mothers name." I looked away from them, sadness involuntarily returning.

"Oh. I'm sorry." The boy seemed to recognize his mistake. He looked especially guilty and it made me wonder if they knew something.

"He really was just trying to joke." The other twin tried to mediate.

"It's alright." I looked back up, determined to ward off tears before they came again. My assurance gave them the confidence to move closer. As they did, I watched their eyes lock onto certain parts of me. My left temple, which had been bruised a few days ago in an incident in my father's laboratory, then my inner arms, which I had formed a habit of holding face up so that blood from the needle sights wouldn't stain my sheets. I turned them over, self consciously keeping them from sight.

"What happened to you?" The first twin seemed to have a blunt streak. I could tell though, that he was genuinely concerned. They both moved even closer, taking seats on either side of me. The proximity made me uncomfortable but I knew that they weren't going to hurt me. The smell was back too. I was practically engulfed by it and I knew then that it came from the two of them. How I had smelled them from across the room, I wasn't sure.

This seemed like another difficult question to me, so I deflected. "You two haven't told me your names." I already knew their names, of course, but not which one was which.

"I'm Fred", said the first one who had come off as slightly rude.

"And I'm George." The other confirmed.

"Now answer our question." Fred demanded. Their scent was making me groggy and more relaxed than I meant to be.

"My father, he sticks needles in me, either to take my blood or to give me medicine. He says I'm weak and that I need it." The truth poured out of me.

"You don't seem very weak to us." George stated it as fact, even as he eyed my boney wrists. I found myself letting him take up my hand to examine the thin tissue there. My eyes were drooping now.

"I never liked the medicine." I admitted for the first time out loud. "It always made me feel bad."

"Medicine is supposed to make you feel better." Fred's voice was closer than I expected. I jerked my head back to ask him why he was so close to me, only to realize that I had slumped back against him without realizing. George pulled my legs across his lap. It was incredibly comfortable.

"Sleep. If you want." George suggested. I meant to tell him that I wasn't tired, but my brain got too lazy. I swiftly drifted into a cushiony sleep.

…George Weasley…

I silently sent a look to Fred, who was seated behind the girl, acting as a support. The whole situation was very comfortable, which was odd. Fred met my eyes and I could tell that he was still worked up by the medicine thing. I couldn't blame him. Whatever her father was doing to her, it couldn't have been right. She was thin, sure, probably undernourished. But she wasn't sick. There was nothing wrong with her. I could just tell.

Fred fell asleep first. In his sleep, his arms wrapped around the girl's torso, the crook of his arm forming a support for her head. The sight of my brother in such a nurturing position should have been odd to me. Ginny and Ron sometimes sat with mum in a similar way. But Fred and I never really did. We always had our own things to do. In the moment though, between the three of us, things felt natural. I couldn't explain it. I rubbed her knee with my hand as I dazed off. When my head started to fall, I welcomed sleep.

…Molly Weasley…

The next morning, as Molly made her way downstairs, the sight of her two trouble-making sons wrapped protectively around the frail, orphaned girl surprised her. She smiled, quickly forgetting her anger at the twins being out of bed. The sight erased her creeping fear that taking the girl in had been a bad idea. The child herself was not a threat. A searching band of death eaters however, would be a different story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to all of you who left reviews and assured me that you'd stick with me as I edited my story. I was originally going to leave the rest of the chapters up as I went through and re-did each one, but I realized that I was making changes that disturbed the whole continuity. So hopefully things will be different enough that my old followers will still find pleasure in re-reading.**

…Elvira…

I woke slowly to beams of sunlight streaming through wind chimes, which were attached to the gutters outside. Sounds of pots and pans came from the kitchen, along with the smell of frying bacon. Fred and George were still asleep. During the night, George had slumped over so that his head rested in my lap. Hesitantly, I let my fingers run through his bright orange hair. It was longer than in the picture Molly had shown me the night before. I guessed that no one had cut it since it was taken.

"Wakey, wakey." Another boy, also red haired but older than the three of them, smirked as he leaned against the door jam. His appearance startled me and I quickly pulled my hand away from George's head, embraced. Fred stretched behind me.

"Toss off, Charlie." He groaned.

"You two should really learn to watch your mouths in front of guests." The older boy retorted. He looked nine or ten.

"He said it, not me." George grumbled.

"Speaking of guests, I suppose it's proper to introduce myself. My name is Charlie." He stepped forward and offered his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Elvira." I shook his hand.

"You can call her Vira though, that's her nickname." Fred was quick to butt in. I turned to shoot him a look, but he pretended not to notice.

"Well then, Vira, boys, if you're done snuggling, mum sent me to tell you breakfast is almost ready." With that he turned and headed back towards the kitchen, a satisfied look on his face. I blushed at his comment.

"What a git." George decided. He was sitting up now.

"A nickname?" I turned to Fred.

"Don't act like it doesn't sound way better." He defended casually. I scoffed and turned to George for backup.

"What?" He leaned away from my harsh gaze. "I quite like it, actually." I sighed. They grinned at each other, as though they'd won a victory.

"Come on now, Vira. Time for breakfast." Fred gloated as he scooted out from behind me.

The dining table was long and bordered with mismatched seating. The twins led me to a bench stool and gestured for me to sit. I sat on the end, leaving room for both of them on the other side. Apparently, this wasn't good enough for them. Fred sat down on the other end, as I had expected. George however, squished in on the other side, forcing me to move over so that I was effectively sandwiched between the two of them. At this point, Molly turned around the stove and noticed me.

"Elvira, dear! Good morning. I hope you slept comfortably." She cooed, turning back to the stove mid sentence.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for making arrangements." I responded graciously, as I had been taught.

"Why don't you ever greet _us_ like that, mum?" Fred complained from my left.

"It's like you're not even happy to see us." George backed him up.

"Oh, hush you two. Be grateful I don't ground you for getting out of bed last night." She turned around with a look on her face that oozed _gotcha._ I smirked at the twins' responding silence. "They didn't keep you up, did they dear?" Molly switched gears from sassy back to sweet and nurturing faster than she could flip a blueberry pancake.

"Not for very long at all, Mrs. Weasley." I assured her.

"Why don't you call me Molly?"

On beat, the rest of the Weasley's filed into the kitchen. Aside from Charlie, there were two more boys older than Fred and George. Over the course of breakfast I would learn their names were Bill and Percy. Then there was Ron and Ginny, both younger than me, followed by Mr. Weasley, who seemed to be herding them all.

"Who's this?" Bill, the oldest asked right away, gesturing to me.

"Fred and George's new girlfriend." Charlie responded, still amused with himself from before. George angrily stood up from his seat, getting ready to do who knows what, but Molly stopped the chaos before it began.

"Hush." She demanded. "This is Elvira." She went around telling me everyone's names. "Why don't you all tuck in, and then your father and I will explain everything." She served everyone and let us take a few satiating bites before getting our attention once more. She explained, using a lot of euphemisms, that I had to be taken away from my parents and that I would be staying with them until they could work out a more permanent solution. I kept my eyes down through all of it.

"A more permanent solution?" Fred interjected.

"You're going to send her away?" George continued. Molly looked to Arthur, who was shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth. He startled, nearly choking at the realization that he was being called upon for explanation.

"Right." He cleared his through, regaining composure. "Well you kids can see how crowded it is around here. The fact is that your mother and I just don't have enough room or money to keep her." He frowned at the end of his statement, as if wondering if he had misspoken. His phrasing did somewhat allude to a pet that was too much trouble. Molly smoothed things over.

"We're sure that Elvira would be much more comfortable in a home that can afford to provide for her comfortably." She smiled weakly.

"Vira isn't any trouble." Fred defended. "You can't send her away!"

"She can stay in our room and wear our clothes!" George concluded.

"Settle down now boys." Mr. Weasley firmly demanded. "We haven't made any decisions just yet. But the truth of the matter is that we're not sure that we can take care of her. I'm sorry, Elvira."

"It's alright, Mr. Weasley. I understand." My voice was quiet. I realized that I wanted to stay. The burrow was cluttered and messy, but it felt like a real home. Even though everyone bickered and teased each other, there was no real malice behind it. I remembered how my father would sometimes yell at my mother. He would raise his voice and use foul names and sometimes they wouldn't speak for days afterward. I averted my eyes from everyone as tears started to swell. My father always told me that crying was a guilt tactic that wouldn't work on him. I didn't want to make the Weasley's feel guilty for something they couldn't control.

The twins seemed to sense my discomfort. George placed his hand on my elbow in reassurance. Fred, still irritated, managed to calm himself enough to politely ask, "May we be excused?"

"Yes." Arthur allowed. Molly almost stopped us. I saw her eyes lock onto our unfinished plates. But she didn't say anything, instead looking away in frustration.

The twins took me up to their room. The walls were painted light green. Several abandoned activities were set up around the carpet, a half build tower of blocks, a deck of cards strewn about, quidditch action figures left in a pile… We sat on one bed together, our backs up against the wall. Tears were still threatening to spill over.

"If mum and dad send you away, I swear they'll wake up to a stink bomb in their bed every morning." Fred seethed.

"It's just not fair, sending you to some strange place…" George shook his head.

"Could we still be friends? If I have to go, that is?" Saying the words sent me over the edge. I was crying, despite my best effort. At this, the twins snapped out of their own stupors to address me.

"You're not going anywhere." Fred said.

"We'll make sure of it." George agreed.

"How?" I asked, hopeless.

"We'll think of something." Fred held out his hand to me. It took a few seconds to realize that he wanted me to hold it. Hesitantly, I slid my hand into his. George mirrored the action on the other side. Away from the breakfast table, I could smell them once more. It was comforting, so much so that I almost believed them.

…Fred Weasley…

George and I knew our mum well. As tough as she acted, she really only wanted us all to be happy. We hadn't pushed very hard for something since we got our junior brooms last Christmas. Maybe it had been long enough that she'd forgotten how persistent we could be. I knew with enough confidence that we would find a way to make her crack.

Vira, George, and I sat without talking for a while. She was getting her tears under control quickly. She made Ron look like an absolute crybaby when he went off. I thought about telling her that she didn't need to stop, that we wouldn't judge her. But I could tell she wanted to be tough and it was far from me to stop her.

"We could do more chores around the house." George suggested. "You know, give mum a break once in a while. She might appreciate it enough to let Vira stay." I flinched at the initial thought of doing more chores. But in exchange for Vira's presence, it seemed like a fair enough trade. I nodded.

"Yea, and maybe if we looked after Ginny more. Got her out of mum's hair." I added.

"Do you two really want to do all of that?" Vira asked. She seemed as though she was already removed from the situation. It bothered me.

"Don't you want to stay?" I asked, a little offended. She looked taken aback at this.

"Well, yes. I do." She stammered; gaining confidence the more she spoke. "I just don't understand what the two of you get out of taking care of me." She looked down, as if her own words had hurt her. I wasn't sure what to say. The truth was that I hadn't thought about why I was so ready to do anything for her.

"We like you. We want to be your friend." George said simply. She seemed to accept this and I sighed in relief.

The next few days were quieter. Mum and dad didn't say anything else about sending Vira away, but we knew they were still having private conversations. George and I carried out our plans by washing dishes, picking up our toys, and even playing with Ron for an hour or two. Mum eyed us wearily just about the whole time. We said that her lack of faith offended us, her well mannered, adoring sons.

Dad set up a "temporary" cot in Ginny's room, but we told Elvira that she could sneak down to our room whenever she wanted. This bothered our parents, but whenever they brought it up, Vira would apologize sincerely and say that she just couldn't fall asleep upstairs. It was brilliant watching the way mum and dad would cave for her. I don't think she ever even tried.

A week had passed when Vira came down with a cold. It started with a sore throat and quickly escalated to a fever. Mum tried a slew of healing potions, but none of them had any effect on her. Because of this, she kept Vira separate from the rest of us. We could play together, but we weren't allowed any contact. Mum followed her around all day, sanitizing anything she touched. It seemed extreme, but I think she was scared because she couldn't figure out what illness she had or how to help it.

On the third night of Vira's sickness, George and I lay awake in our beds. I had a heavy feeling in my chest. It was clear that she was getting weaker. Just looking at her thinning face was upsetting. I knew that George felt the same way.

"Do you think…?" He began hesitantly. "That medicine her father used to give her… do you think she actually needed it?" Until this point, George had been silent for a long time. I could tell he was ruminating.

"She said it always made her feel worse." I responded.

"That's true." He agreed and then spaced out into another long silence. I let him be until he eventually continued. "Do you think she'll come tonight?" Mum had set her up on the couch again and absolutely prohibited her from coming to our room at night. She really didn't want whatever it was spreading.

"I don't think so Georgie. She's too responsible for that." She hadn't come to us for the past two days either. The bags under her eyes made it obvious that she wasn't sleeping well.

"Maybe we should go to her?" George suggested. I frowned for a second, wondering why I hadn't thought of that. After a moment of contemplation I realized that something inside of me had been screaming to do exactly that for the last hour.

"I think you're right." I agreed.

…George Weasley…

I led the way downstairs with Fred following close behind. My heart was racing beyond that of the fear of being caught by mum. I usually found those sorts of jitters exciting. This was all together different. It felt sort of desperate and nerve wracking.

When we found Vira she was breathing shallowly. She was awake, but not all together conscious. I felt her forehead and she was burning up. I looked to Fred, who was stricken pale as a ghost. "Vira." I shook her gently. "Vira, say something." Her head rolled toward me and her eyes opened enough to see my face.

"George" was all she said in a raspy tone. Then, with what seemed like the rest of her energy, she pulled me down beside her. I didn't hesitate to take her into my arms. I felt that if I didn't, I might lose her. Fred was still frozen, his eyes locked on her face.

"Vira, should we go get mum?" I asked her, slightly panicked, trying to do what was best without knowing what that was.

"No." Her voice was weak but assertive. "Just stay with me." Her eyes shifted up to Fred then in silent instruction. He complied by lifting her legs enough to rest them on his lap where he sat; as I had done on the first night we met her.

"Are you sure, Vira?" I kept saying her name, thinking it would keep her conscious. "You don't look well." But she just shook her head very slowly.

"I know what I need now." She sunk down further into my arms. I looked down to where Fred was curled up against her legs. I half wondered if he was feeling ill as well. No doubt we would both be in the morning. Mum would have a fit. I wasn't concerned though. The terrible feeling that had been welling up inside me was finally gone. That was enough for now.

Both of them fell asleep before me. My body was calm now, but my mind still raced. When we had first arrived, it felt as though Vira might have been on her last breaths. Every time I replayed the image in my head it seemed more serious. Although it didn't make any logical sense to associate our presence with her health, I couldn't help but wonder, _what if we hadn't come down stairs?_

I listened as her breathing slowly returned to normal. I felt her forehead every so often. Her fever was definitely dropping. I calmed as I took note of these things. Eventually, my eyes got heavy and I too fell asleep.

I woke to a tickle under my nose. I observed that it was light out as I scrunched and wiggled my nose in attempt to relieve the itch. Finally, I gave up and carefully untangled one arm from the web that was Vira and Fred to bring a hand up to my face. As I scratched, I became more aware of the culprit. Something silky smooth and… attached to Vira's head. Alarmed, I stained backwards to observe the pair of fuzzy animal ears. I hesitantly touched them, first to assure myself that they were real, and then to check if they were actually attached to her. Upon further inspection I discovered that her old ears were gone, completely erased.

"Fred." I whispered it first. Then as panic built, I raised my voice, kicking him where he lay further down the couch. "Fred!"

"Bloody-hell, what do you want?" He groaned, not too happy about my tactics.

"Did you do this?" I pointed to Vira's head. I knew by the look on his face as his eyes adjusted that he didn't do it.

"Do what?" Vira asked as she stretched. When her eyes opened she looked around the room, searching for the issue.

…Elvira…

We were sat in the kitchen, the twins on either side of me as usual. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley took the chairs directly across from us, as opposed to their usual heads of the table. I wanted to keep my head down as Fred and George explained what happened, but that only brought my freakish ears to a point, right at eye level for whoever was looking at me. I struggled with the best way to hold myself as everyone around me panicked.

Mr. Weasley had already tried every curse-breaking spell he knew. Molly was at the stove, brewing another potion which no one had much faith. "How are you feeling?" Mr. Weasley asked me.

"I feel fine. My headache and sore throat have gone." I told him.

"Her fever is down too." Fred informed.

"Arthur, perhaps we should reach out to Dumbledore. He might provide some insight." Molly suggested.

"Perhaps we should." Mr. Weasley agreed. He began rummaging through a drawer for a quill and parchment. I stayed quiet.

"Dumbledore is a great wizard. He'll help you." George whispered into my ear.

It was after dinner when a knock sounded on the front door. I was in the living room watching Bill and Charlie play chess. The twins were on the couch small pieces of popping candy at Ron and pretending to be oblivious every time he got upset. At the sound of the door, I stood and moved closer to the twins without really thinking about it. We listened quietly as Mr. Weasley greeted the visitor. A moment later, a tall, grey bearded man stepped into the living room. His eyes found me immediately.

"Elvira, this is Albus Dumbledore." Mr. Weasley introduced us. "And I'm sure you remember my children, Fred and George, Bill, Charlie, Ron… I believe Ginny is in the kitchen with her mother." He pointed everyone out individually. "Perhaps that would be a good place to talk." He let the man toward the kitchen. "Come along Elvi." I stood and followed them. The twins weren't far behind.

"Albus, welcome!" Molly greeted the man enthusiastically. "Have a seat. Would you like some tea?" The old man smiled graciously.

"Thank you Molly, I'd be much obliged."

"Of course." Ms. Weasley turned to the stove. "Ginny, why don't you go play with your brothers." She commanded more quietly. "You too boys." She nodded at the twins.

"No way. That's not fair!" Fred all but shouted.

"We want to know what's happening." George agreed. The two parents exchanged uncertain looks.

"It'll be easier if I don't have to repeat it all later." I pointed out. Molly reluctantly agreed, threatening severe punishment at the first sign of funny business. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the development. It seemed more curious than judgmental.

"Right, Albus." Arthur begun. "So I'm sure you've noticed the issue." He gestured toward me. "Elvira, why don't you explain what happened leading up to this morning?"

"Oh, um." I was hoping not to have to speak. "Well I was ill for three days. And no one knew what it was. And then I woke up this morning and…" I wasn't sure what more to say. It's not as if I had more insight than anyone else.

"It started last night though!" Fred interjected.

"Her fever started to go down around midnight." George attested. Dumbledore had the curious look on his face again, this time angled at the twins.

"Yes, these three have a habit of being infuriatingly inseparable." Molly explained. "Even when I forbid them from seeing each other to prevent the spread of illness, I wake up and find they've converged!" She was clearly still irritated. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Pardon me Molly, but I'm not convinced that this is an illness we're dealing with."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"Well." Dumbledore deliberated for a moment. "The girl is completely fine this morning. Perhaps it was a… lets say a growth spurt." He concluded.

"A growth spurt?" Arthur repeated. "How can that be?"

"I've been researching the er, sample you brought from the Graystons home." He nodded to Mr. Weasley, referring to the syringe of medicine he had pocketed the night they found me. "I had trouble finding a match. It's an extremely rare substance, in fact I'm not even sure how William Grayston got his hands on it… I didn't want to say anything because there was no proof of his success until this morning."

"Please, Albus. What are you getting at?" Mr. Weasley attempted to steer the man.

"Elvira, did your father ever mention why you were put through so many treatments?" The old man asked me.

"Um, he said that I was too weak, and that I needed the medicine to be strong." This was the best explanation he ever gave me. Although vague, it was easy to believe him. I always felt weak, powerless… until I came to the Burrow.

"The substance inside the syringe you brought me, amongst other things, contained the blood of a very powerful ancient creature. I believe that the Graystons were attempting to assimilate the DNA into their daughter." Dumbledore tensed in preparation for the incoming bombardment of questions.

I managed to shut out the conversation as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley panicked. I could imagine they wanted to know how much of a danger I would be to their family. I wondered that too. So much for a comfortable life with the twins, somehow I doubted that any amount of housework would make a difference now. One word made its way through the commotion.

"Sphinx". Dumbledore said it, snapping me out of my daze.

"Does that mean Vira's gonna grow a tail and wings too?" Fred asked. Molly shot him a look but Dumbledore answered seriously.

"It is impossible to be sure how her development will continue. Aside from the fact that we're not sure how far her father got in the procedures, no one has seen a sphinx in over four hundred years. Claims of their anatomy are just that, claims." His words filled me with dread. My father turned me into a monster.

"Why don't the three of you go upstairs and let us adults talk in private?" Arthur suggested. The twins began to protest but I wordlessly stood and excused myself from the table.

When we got to their room I wasn't sure where to sit. I wouldn't assume that they wanted a monster on their beds. Instead I paced around, focusing on the trees beyond the windows so that I didn't have to see the looks on their faces.

"Vira, are you alright?" Fred asked. I almost found the question laughable.

"You must think I'm a freak." I responded.

"We don't." Fred said earnestly. I looked up at his face to see that it was pained.

"You've got cat ears, not talons. It's not such a big deal." George tried to assure me.

"I'm a mutant."

Fred caught me when I paced too close to his bed and forced me to sit next to him. "They don't look so bad." He reached up to lightly scratch behind one of them. I reflexively let out a sound that wasn't far off from a purr. I froze, mortified. The twins broke out in laughter.

"It's not funny!" I insisted, batting his hand away from my head.

George came over to sit with us. "It's kind of funny." He smirked as he reached up to pet my other ear, causing me to emit another involuntary sound. I roughly pushed him away as the twins let out another round of laughter.

…Molly Weasley…

Molly was relieved when the kids went upstairs. There were questions that needed addressing which were much too serious to dance around for the sake of children. "If you're not certain how she'll develop, how can you be sure that she isn't endangering our family?" Arthur asked.

"Surely these things develop slowing." Albus wagered. "Personalities rarely flip in the span of a single day. You will have to watch her closely."

"Those ears sprouted up in the span on a few hours, Albus. There's not much that would surprise me." Molly pointed out.

"I know that the two of you are concerned about the safety of your family. But consider the girl. Your home might be the safest place for her." Molly and Arthur quieted at this. "Whatever the Graystons intentions were, I'd wager they weren't particularly savory. Your family has been loyal to the order for generations. Your home is far away from prying eyes… I'm afraid I must beg you, protect the girl."

"You're saying you believe that they intended to use her for something?" Arthur clarified.

"The potential of a wizard who had been bonded with the blood of a magical creature is… uncharted." Dumbledore offered.

"So what are you asking us to do, Albus? Keep her hidden away?" Molly asked.

"I believe that with the right precautions, she could live a relatively normal life." Albus assured them. "I have a few suggestions."

…

 **If you enjoyed, please leave a review!**

 **To explain a little, we all know that it's cannon for Fred to take the lead and for George to graciously follow. Fred exclaims and George explains. Because of this, George is shown to be the more empathetic of the two. I'm stretching this to where George is also more aware of his own emotions. So when Vira was ill, George would be more likely to listen to his instincts, which is why he uncharacteristically took the lead in that situation. Fred on the other hand, was mortified that he hadn't been as intuitive as his brother in such a vital situation.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Special thanks to Frost, Littlecosma001, ,Different, Alera33, Brookie Twilling, and any guests that reviewed. And thanks to everyone that favorited or followed this story. It really means a lot to me.**

…Elvira…

Three peaceful years went by. Fred and George became my best friends, the only ones I'd ever really had. We were different in a lot of ways. They could quite honestly be a terror around the house. When the two of them got riled up, destruction would occur, either in the form of possessions or feelings. I never managed to mind though. Although I didn't always approve of their mischief, they'd never damaged a single thing I valued or tossed even one spiteful word at me, aside from the inevitable teasing and banter. I enjoyed that bit of it though.

They came to be extremely protective of me. Once, after I'd beaten Charlie in a game of exploding snap, he joked that it was my cat like reflexes that gave me the extra edge. George tackled him to the ground. It took Bill pulling him off and Molly frantically yelling from the kitchen window to get him to stop hitting him. Eventually I had to tell them to let me handle my own fights. I didn't want every one to be afraid to joke around with me just because of my bodyguards. They agreed after some persuasion. Sure enough, the fighting stopped. It was replaced however, with conveniently timed _coincidences_. There was one time Ron called me prissy for not wanting to swim in the pond with everyone. When I argued that I didn't want to get my ears wet, he splashed me and I got soaked. He woke up the next morning with feathers instead of hair. The twins insisted they had nothing to do with it, but of course I knew.

I could be quite protective of them too. It was sort of instinctual. Whenever they got in trouble, even when it was completely deserved, I couldn't help but take their side. I tried not to be rude to Molly when she punished them because I knew she was right to, but I also couldn't bring myself to be very pleasant or helpful around the house. After all, when she would send them off to scrub floors in some dark corner of the house, forbidding them any company, it affected me too.

Often times, when I spent too much time apart from them, I would start to get anxious. This worried Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They told me it wasn't healthy to be so dependent on the twins. As we got older, they really started enforcing the rule that I had to sleep in my own bed. But as soon as they fell asleep every night, I would leave the room Ginny and I shared and sneak down to Fred and George.

It was morning, now over four years since I'd arrived at the Burrow. I lay in a blissful state of half consciousness next to Fred. My sensitive hearing alerted me to the fact the Molly had already started making breakfast. She would call us down soon enough. I looked at Fred's sleeping face. He looked peaceful and content. As nice as that was, I started to get a little… impatient. Using what I believed to be subtlety, I nuzzled my face into the crook of his shoulder, purring lightly. Fred sighed as he woke.

"Vira." He said as his hand made its way to my head. "You perfectly delightful thing." He lazily scratched the space between my ears with the pads of his fingers. "Will you ever allow me a proper sleep in?"

"You can sleep. I wasn't doing anything." I managed through purrs.

"Course you weren't." He switched to rubbing my back in a way that made me feel very secure. I wrapped my arms around him in a grateful hug and he pecked my forehead in response. I knew my face must be something of absolute delight. It was nice to feel accepted and understood.

A few minutes later I heard Molly's footsteps on the stairs. I reluctantly untangled myself and settled into a more neutral position. This was something the twins and I had an unspoken agreement about. To us, there was nothing improper about our actions. It all seemed perfectly natural. But the three of us were aware of how it might look to outside eyes.

"Breakfast!" Molly yelled as she went through the halls, opening all the doors. Fred and I slowly got out of bed. When George was finally up, I moved to his side in greeting. He put an arm around me in a half hug and leaned down to kiss my temple as we moved to go downstairs.

Once everyone was seated in the kitchen, Molly quipped at me. "I didn't see you in your bed this morning dear."

"That's strange." I acted innocent. "I could've sworn I was there all night."

"Is that right?" At the rate that we repeatedly had this conversation, it was all but casual. "I wonder if Ginny would say the same thing."

"Don't bring Ginny into this, mum." Fred argued.

"That's playing dirty." George agreed.

"As much as this must feel like a game to the three of you, I'm being quite serious." Molly retorted.

"What's the point mum?" Fred asked.

"Honestly, what's the harm?" Said George.

Molly was gathering her words when Errol interrupted. The bird flew in through the open window and ungracefully landed beak-first in Percy's breakfast. "Our Hogwarts letters!" He exclaimed and begun passing them around the table. Fred and Georges faces lit up and they snatched the pile from Percy. It hit me as they gleefully opened their envelopes. Panicked, my head snapped to Molly who was already looking at me, her expression pitying. The twins sensed my discomfort after a moment.

George noticed first. He lingered on my empty hands. "Oi, Fred." He drew his brother's attention.

Fred didn't take long to catch on. "Mum!" He cried out desperately for a solution. Molly just shook her head. "Dad! There's got to be something we could do." The rest of the Weasley children had fallen silent as well. They all understood on some level how devastating the separation would be.

"Write to Dumbledore. He'll help us." George begged.

Arthur cleared his throat. "I'm sorry boys but rules are rules. No one goes to Hogwarts until they turn eleven."

"That's daft!" Fred shouted.

"Language!" Molly warned. "Elvira will join the both of you at Hogwarts next year.

"We could stay back a year." George suggested. "Kids do it all the time."

"Absolutely not. The two of you are far too bright to be held back." Molly was adamant.

"It's alright." I managed through tears, placing a hand on each boys arm to calm them. I tried not to let my face scrunch up in agony. "I'll be fine." I could tell that both of them wanted to talk to me, but under the gaze of their entire family, they felt silenced. Growing up with so many brothers enforced a certain standard of how and when emotions were displayed.

"Can't you at least write to Dumbledore? Try?" Fred pleaded.

"I'm afraid not." Molly said firmly. "Your father and I have already discussed it. Your schooling comes first. The head master is a busy man. We can't presume to be so important as to receive special treatment." I was on the brink of sobbing but still trying to repress it. As a result, I was a mess of sputtering and gasping. Fred rose from the table and put a hand of my back to guide me with him. George was right behind us.

Once we reached their room, I allowed myself to break down. I calmed enough to speak after a few minutes. All three of us sat upright against the headboard of Fred's bed. Because of the small amount of space, I leaned back onto their shoulders on either side of me. They faced in slightly so that we could see each other's faces.

"I'm sorry." I told them honestly. "I don't want to be selfish."

"What would possibly make you think you were being selfish?" Fred asked.

"You two should be able to enjoy your first year at Hogwarts. I don't want to make you feel guilty about going."

"We don't feel guilty, Vira. We don't want to leave you either." George said.

I sighed, frustrated as I tried to get a hold of my feelings. "I know, but… you two have each other. I'm always the needy one."

"You aren't needy." Fred assured.

"We don't see you that way." George backed him up.

"Okay." I was willing to take their word. "It's just…" I turned to George. "You were willing to be held back. I'd feel terrible if you had to do that for me."

"We don't have to do anything. We really do want to stay with you." George insisted.

"Okay." I smiled weakly and accepted their comfort. Something inside of me still wasn't sure though. I couldn't help but feel as though I had somehow lured them into loyalty. "I really do want the two of you to go off and enjoy yourselves." I insisted.

"We'll do our best." Fred promised with a smile.

…Fred…

Vira was able to come to the train station because of the necklace Dumbledore gave her when we first found out about her sphinx blood. It was a large red ruby on a gold chain. When mum first saw it, she nearly fainted. Whenever Vira put it on, her cat ears disappeared and the human ones came back. On the ride to King's Cross, I thought about how seeing her completely human was strange. I was used to the way that she looked around the house.

Vira did a good job of acting brave, but when I hugged her goodbye I could feel how terrified she was by the way she clung to me. I kissed her forehead and then her cheekbone and whispered, "I love you" into her ear so that no one else could hear it, except George who probably just guessed what I'd said because we practically share a brain. "Holiday will come before we know it." I tried to reassure her. She nodded and I could tell from her eyes that she wanted to return everything I'd said but was too close to tears to risk speaking.

I passed her off to George. He hugged her with one arm and held her head to his shoulder with the other. He whispered in her ear too and then kissed her cheek. "We'll write right away." He promised. We said what felt like quick goodbyes to mum, dad, Ron, and Ginny, and then each gave Vira one more squeeze.

Once aboard, we went looking for a compartment. Charlie had to sit with the other prefects and even if Percy had offered, we wouldn't have wanted our first appearance to be made with whatever nerds he was friends with. We found one with one other kid in it. We both sized him up through the window. I turned back to George and he nodded. I went ahead. "Can we sit with you, mate?" I asked.

"Sure, my name is Lee." He introduced himself. "Blimey, you two are identical!"

"So we've been told." I joked and held out my hand. "I'm Fred."

"George." He offered his as well.

"Are you a first year too?" I asked.

"That's right." He didn't seem like some of the other timid kids we'd seen in the compartments we passed up on. "I bet I'll be sorted into Gryffindor." He proclaimed.

"Us too!" I said.

"Our whole family has been so we're bound to be too." George added.

"You have a lot of siblings in the school?" Lee asked.

"Just two right now. Percy and Charlie." I said.

"We've got a younger brother and sister coming up soon though." Said George.

"What about your girlfriend? She's not in school yet?" Lee asked casually. I frowned and looked at George, whose expression mirrored mine.

"Pardon, mate?"

"That's not your girlfriend?" Lee pointed to the platform where Vira was standing with our remaining family. She looked sullen and Ginny had a comforting hand on her shoulder. It was nice to see that she wouldn't be completely alone. "I saw the both of you saying goodbye to her. Didn't mean to impose or nothing." By the hue of George's face I guessed that I was probably blushing as well.

"Vira isn't really our girlfriend…"

"More like a really close mate." George's voice wavered.

"Our parents took her in when we were younger." I tried to explain. "She's not our sister though-" Lee had the good sense to cut us off.

"Sounds bloody complicated." He shook his head. Until that moment, I had never thought that maybe it was pretty complicated. We'd never had to explain ourselves to anyone before.

…

 _Dear Vira,_

 _We were sorted into Gryffindor, no surprise there. So was our new mate Lee who we met on the train. We had classes for the first time today. Professor Snape is a bleeding wanker just like Bill said._

 _The castle is huge! It's going to take forever to explore the whole thing. Wish you were here to nag us about not sneaking out._

 _Tell us about how you're doing at home._

 _Love,_

 _Fred and George_

…

 _Dear Fred and George,_

 _Things here are alright. I've started learning to knit. I've also been reading some. Who knew it could actually be entertaining? Without the two of you here, I've had to find more things to keep busy._

 _I hope you two aren't getting in trouble already. I won't hear the end of it from Molly if a letter gets sent home._

 _What is Lee like?_

 _Much Love,_

 _Vira_

…

 _Dear Vira,_

 _We've only received one detention so far and it was hardly deserved. What kind of establishment doesn't allow running in the halls? Children need exercise! Lee is cool. He thinks it's funny that no one can tell us apart. He also knows a lot about quidditch._

 _We'll each be expecting a freshly knit pair of socks when we return. And to prove that it was you who made them, you have to sew your name into the soles. Speaking of, could you actually have mum send some more socks? I (George) didn't pack nearly enough._

 _Much love,_

 _Fred and George_

…Elvira…

As a favor to Molly, I went into the twins' room to package up the socks. I hadn't been there since they left. Sleeping on my bed in Ginny's room seemed more comforting than sleeping in a room alone. When I went in though, their scent overtook me. I hadn't even noticed that it had slowly slipped away from every other room in the house. A few seconds later, I found myself curled up in a ball on George's bed, sobbing and pathetically clutching his pillow to my face.

Ron happened to walk by at that moment. I could see the sheer terror in his face at the prospect of dealing with me in my emotional state. I didn't completely blame him. "Mum!" He called. After a few more seconds he called "Ginny!" his voice shaking. Unfortunately for him, they were both out weeding in the garden.

Hesitantly, he stepped inside the room and took a seat at the end of the bed. "You really miss them, huh?" He said. I just nodded, still too wound up to speak. "Why?" He asked. It was a simple question, but one I'd never had reason to think about. Of course I had reasons to miss them. The problem was that all the reasons were just tiny little moments, the sum of which I wasn't sure how to explain. But there was something else too, something larger that made my body physically ache over their absence. Ron went on, "I just don't really get it. You're so different from them."

"We are different." I admitted. Thinking logically helped me to calm down. "But they completely understand me. They practically read my mind sometimes."

"You're like the third twin." Ron wrinkled his nose. I did as well. Something about the implication seemed wrong to me.

"If that were true you'd wake up with gnomes in your bed tomorrow morning." I quipped. Ron gulped and I couldn't help but find some pleasure in his genuine fear that I would turn into the twins while they were away.

…

 _Dear Fred and George,_

 _Your package is on its way with Errol. I borrowed this owl so that my letter would get to you faster. I miss you two a lot. I can't believe it's only been two weeks. I'm getting bored here. I'm sure you two must have the opposite of that right now, what with all the new people and places in front of you. But the Burrow just isn't the same without you and it's begun to feel rather dreary._

 _Anyway, tell me more about your studies. I'm curious to know what you've been learning. I can't wait to learn how to use magic for real. I wish there weren't underage laws so that you could teach me some when you come home._

 _Much, much love,_

 _Vira_

…George…

An unfamiliar owl dropped a letter in my lap at breakfast. I knew by the light green ribbon that it was from Vira. Distracted from the conversation I was having with Lee and Katie Bell, I quickly unwrapped it and placed the ribbon in front of Fred to get his attention. He read it with me over my shoulder. I sobered as I read the first half. Fred and I subconsciously leaned into each other slightly as we read of her unhappiness. The worst part was that before I opened the letter, I had no idea what she was feeling. Back home, I swear Fred and I could sense Vira's moods from several rooms away. But with her so far away, that intuitive connection was broken. I felt horribly guilty.

"You two look as if someone's died." Katie commented from across the table.

"It's from their girlfriend. You can tell because of the ribbon. They get one nearly every night." Lee pointed to the green fabric that Fred clutched in one hand. I wanted to punch him.

"A girlfriend?" Katie asked, shocked.

"Sod off Lee, she's not our girlfriend." Fred responded coolly. I didn't bother adding anything for fear that it would be hostile.

"They couldn't have one girlfriend anyway, Lee. There are two of them." Katie reasoned.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well if there's two of you and one of her, that just doesn't add up." She explained. Fred and I shared a glance.

"That's muggle logic." Lee argued.

"It doesn't matter, both of you." Fred cut them off.

"She's not our girlfriend." I repeated.

"Whatever you say, mate." Lee winked at me.

 _..._

 _Dear Vira,_

 _No matter how much excitement there is for us here, it's not the same without you. We miss you a lot. Fred and I both agree that if feels wrong to be so far away from you. Letters only say so much and even when it's enough there's the owl delay. We hope you're doing all right. Don't be afraid to write us about it if you're not. We know it's not good enough, but we'll do our best to help._

 _You're not missing much in the way of classes. It's a lot of basic stuff that we've seen mum and dad do a thousand times. Sure, it's cool to be able to do it ourselves, it's just a bit basic for our tastes. You'll pick all of it up in no time, we're sure of it. If you want though, we'll show you our books and tell you about all of it on holiday._

 _We love you,_

 _Fred and George_

…Elvira…

As selfish as it might sound, it was reassuring to hear that something was lacking for the twins without me. I was pretty sure we had they type of relationship that couldn't be replaced in the span of a few months. But without their present affirmations, my brain wondered to not-so-funny places. In the midst of panic, it was easy to believe that Fred and George were simply amazingly nice people that were willing to hold and praise anyone who needed it, not just me. Remembering how rude they could be to other people actually made me feel better in these moments.

As cycles of weeks and letters and panic attacks and long nights of crying myself to sleep passed by, I began to realize that I _was_ selfish when it came to the twins. And although at first I denied this instinct, I began to feel more entitled to it as time passed. Some part of me demanded their individual adoration.

…

 _Dear Fred and George,_

 _I miss you a lot. I haven't been sleeping well and it's getting hard to keep my thoughts straight. I don't think I can handle it for much longer. If holiday wasn't in three weeks, I'm not sure what I would do._

 _Your mum wants to call a healer for me because she thinks I'm ill. I don't blame her, I do look kind of ill. But I know that I'm not sick. I just feel like I really need to see the both of you. She couldn't call one anyway because of my blood._

 _Let me know how you're doing and how the semester is wrapping up._

 _Love to the both of you,_

 _Vira_

…Fred…

"Misters Weasley, might I recommend that the two of you visit the hospital wing? You both look dreadful." Professor McGonagall commented as we were leaving class. She wasn't the first person to mention it. George and I had progressively felt worse over the past month, but it had only been a week since other people started to notice.

"Thanks for the concern, professor." I said.

"We just need a bit of sleep is all." George told her.

"See that you get it. I won't tolerate any more dozing off during my lectures." She said sternly.

"We will professor." I assured her even though I doubted it would be so easy.

Based on Vira's last letter, she was experiencing the same symptoms. It didn't make any sense, but somehow I just knew that all three of us would feel better once we got home.

…Albus Dumbledore…

"So you say the young Weasley brothers have been less attentive in class, have you?" The headmaster addressed his coworker across from him.

"It's not only inattention, head master. It's sunken eyes and paling skin, a lack of energy. I haven't had to discipline them in over a month. Usually that would be something to celebrate but not in this case, Albus. I'm worried about them." Minerva McGonagall reported.

"Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention, Minerva. I'll deal with it accordingly." Albus assured her.

"I'd recommend a letter home, just to get started." She recommended.

"Thank you, Minerva." Albus said dismissively. She stood with a stiff nod and promptly left the head master's office. Dumbledore's fingers drummed on a letter, which was fanned out on his desk. He thoughtfully reread it.

 _Good day Albus,_

 _I hope you're doing well. I wouldn't usually bother you with such small matters, but I've been rather backed into a corner. Elvira has fallen rather ill. It's not like last time. No fever or sore throat. But she's losing weight fast and has barely slept a wink all week. I would call in a healer but given her condition I don't want to risk exposing her. And anyhow, I don't think that it's a typical illness._

 _I hoped that you might be able to offer some advice or insight to what this might be. Sorry again for bothering you._

 _Well wishes,_

 _Molly Weasley_


	4. Chapter 4

**Guys, I'm so terribly sorry for being an irresponsible fanfic author. I know it's been a while since my last update. In my defense, I got a new job that has me working like sixty hours a week. Still though, I do want to make writing more of a priority in my down time. Trust me, I don't think I'll ever give up on this story. I get too much pleasure from writing it to give it up.**

 **Thanks so much for the people who reviewed in the meantime. Hopefully you're back to read this chapter! I know it can be difficult to keep up with a fic if it's only updated once every two months. Like I said, I'm working on that.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy!**

…Elvira…

The platform was packed with parents and children, all anxious for the train to arrive from Hogwarts. I imagined that I was the most anxious person there. My fingers fiddled with the ruby necklace that kept me safe in the public eye. Lately, I'd found it difficult to stand for long periods of time. I would start to get dizzy. But I was so focused on anticipating the twins return that I didn't notice any of the physical symptoms that had been ailing me.

"How does breakfast for dinner sound for tonight, dear?" Molly offered enticingly. "Pancakes, bacon, eggs, everything you like." I saw her eyes skim over my boney body. She suspected that I had been pretending to eat and hiding my food under my napkin at meals. I didn't know how else to prove to her that I had been eating like normal. The fact that I was losing weight had nothing to do with my actions. It seemed like my body just didn't want to absorb any nutrients.

"That sounds great, Molly." I smiled at her briefly, but I could only keep my eyes off of the tracks for a few seconds. They would arrive any minute.

It almost took forever, but then the steam engine appeared, its brakes loudly screeching to a halt. My eyes snapped to the window of Fred and George's cabin. How I found it so fast was beyond me. It only took them an extra second to spot me. They smiled at me and then disappeared. I imagined they were grabbing their luggage.

…Fred…

"Why're you two in such a rush?" Lee asked. He was just getting out of his seat while George and I were already at the door with our chests.

"We've got an appointment." I said sarcastically.

"Find us on the platform and we'll introduce you to her." George suggested over his shoulder. We weren't the first people off the train but we certainly beat most of the rush. It was easy to spot Vira in a crowd. Sure, her hair was ordinary enough, dark brown and wavy, but her features were unique: olive skin, high cheekbones, and almond shaped eyes on her narrow face. Her eyes were nearly black, but they reflected gold in almost any lighting. Her human ears stuck out from her head in a way that I thought was cute. I couldn't see all that from my distance, of course, but tiny details of her rushed back to me in anticipation.

I remember meeting her eyes and the next thing I knew she was in George and I's arms. People would tell me later that we'd practically sprinted to her. At first she had an arm wrapped around each of us and we did our best to hold her with one hand each. After a moment, we broke apart to hug her individually. Once I let go of her, I remembered that the rest of my family was there as well.

"Oi, hi mum, dad." I nodded to them and they just stared, both at me and at George and Vira who were still in an embrace. Ginny came forward to hug me and I happily obliged.

"Why, the two of you look horrible as well." Mum looked worried as she came over to crush us in a hug.

"Gee, thanks mum." I responded, well aware but dismissive of what I currently looked like.

"Aren't you the one who taught us not to point out people's appearances?" George said as he lifted his face off the top of Vira's head.

"They've looked ill for over a month." Percy informed his parents.

"You're not one to talk." I quipped.

"Aye, you've looked like that your entire life." George gestured to Percy's whole body.

"Boys, don't be rude. Your brother is looking out for you." Molly shook a finger at us and then turned on Percy. "Why didn't you write to us about this?" She interrogated.

Percy gulped and took a step back. "McGonagall said that the headmaster had done so."

This just made her more furious. "Well, we certainly did not receive any letters." She ran her gaze over the entire family, as if they all played a roll in concealing the information from her. Luckily, Lee appeared and kept the situation from escalating in the middle of a bustling train station.

"Fred! George!" Lee pushed through the crowd with two adults trailing close behind. "These are my parents." George and I said hello to them and then the four adults converged to meet and talk.

"Lee, this is Vira." I said, pride bursting from within me.

"Vira, this is our mate, Lee." George finished, guiding her to meet him with his hand still resting on her back.

"Nice to meet you." She smiled at him and they shook hands. Lee looked at us suspiciously.

"Why is she all skinny and tired looking like the two of you?" He questioned. George protectively pulled her back into his side. I could tell the comment angered him, so I answered for the both of us.

"I suppose cause she missed us so much." I smirked in her direction to let Lee know I was joking. She hardly mustered a fake laugh though and I knew it was because the statement was all too true.

…Elvira…

I melted into them. I couldn't help it. I managed to keep my knees locked enough to walk in the train station. But once we got to the car, I limply fell into my seat, clutching George's arm for support while Fred slid into the one on the other side of me. Although I felt more at ease than I had in months, there was definitely tension in the air. No one said anything, but it was obvious that everyone was trying to piece the puzzle together. All of the Weasleys were aware of the dependency between the twins and myself, but I could see it on their faces as they reconsidered what they thought they knew about it. Personally, I wasn't concerned. I was too busy drinking in the boys' presence.

Back at the Burrow, the twins immediately found an excuse to get out of the curious eyes of their family. "We're going to unpack." Fred announced, dragging his suitcase in one hand and me in the other.

"Let us know when dinner's ready." George yelled as he bounded up the steps behind us.

Once inside their room, the suitcases were immediately forgotten. I wrapped my arms around Fred's neck and let my legs give out. He pulled me tight against him and lifted me just enough to get to the bed where George already sat. Fred settled me in his brother's lap before climbing in with us. I turned sideways in his lap so that I faced Fred. George took the opportunity to kiss the side of my head. He wrapped his arms around me. I reached out and took Fred's hands. "I missed you." I told them, looking at both of their faces.

"We felt terrible being away." Fred admitted.

"We knew you needed us." George spoke quietly because he was right next to my ear. Tears started to well up in my eyes and he hugged me closer. Fred slowly reached around my neck and removed my necklace. I knew the moment that my cat ears shimmered back into view because they both smiled at the same time. Fred reached up to rub my ears as he leaned forward to kiss a tear away from the corner of my eye.

"It was exhausting, being away from the both of you." I sniffled.

"We know." Fred traced the bag under my eye with the tip of his finger. I could see the signs of exhaustion on his face as well and I nodded, trusting that they did know.

At dinner, the three of us sat on our usual bench. We had a silent understanding to keep our legs touching the whole time. I felt like I might pass out into my food if we didn't. I noticed Molly eyeing us the whole time, probably to make sure we were eating. To appease her, we all cleared our plates without any fuss.

After everyone finished and the dishes were done, we all sat around in the living room to play games and chat. After a little while, the twins and I settled down on the couch. Fred, George, Percy, and Charlie all talked about how their studies were going and what friends they had made. I'd already read about all of the twins stories in their letters. So slowly, comforted by Fred's shoulder and the flickering fireplace, I drifted to sleep.

…George…

"This has got to be the first time she's fallen asleep that easily in months." Mum whispered, astounded.

"Course it is, mum." Fred began in a whisper. Vira stirred slightly at his voice and he looked to me to finish.

"Who was she to lay with? Ronikins?" I sent a joking look to Ron. I could tell that he didn't take it personally. Even to a nine year old, it was obvious that Vira wouldn't have been able to asleep next to anyone but Fred and I.

"Perhaps we should take her upstairs." Dad suggested. "Why don't you help carry her, Charlie?"

"We can handle it." I put my hand on her ankle, which rested in my lap. It was admittedly, a territorial action. I tended to have those when it came to matters concerning Vira. I didn't always understand why Fred didn't have the same reaction, but it was probably a good thing. This way, he was able to talk us out of whatever situation we were in. For most other things, we played opposing roles. So I supposed it was fair that we both got a look at the other side.

Charlie stood up and stretched. "If either of you had any muscle when the year started, you've lost it all now and you both know it." He stated bluntly, stepping over to scoop Vira into his arms. I reluctantly let him. We followed him up the stairs, all of us moving slowly as not to wake her. Charlie was about to continue up to the third floor to Ginny's room but Fred cleared his throat.

"Our room's right here." He said.

"Might as well spare yourself the extra effort." I reasoned.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Mum will throw a fit."

"If you put her up there, she'll be awake and back down here within ten minutes." Fred wagered. Charlie grunted and walked her through the doorway of our room.

"Which side?" He asked, referring to both of our beds.

"Actually Charlie, we were hoping you'd do us another favor." Fred ventured.

"I don't owe the two of you anything." He snapped.

"You do if you don't want mum to hear of your exploits with a certain Kenny Tomilins." I smirked at his blushing face.

"How did you two- oh, nevermind." Charlie stammered. "What do you want?"

…Molly…

Molly returned to the living room after putting Ginny to bed. On her way down, she paused by Fred and George's door. It was open just a crack and she was tempted to push it open a little more to peer inside. But she guessed that the twins wouldn't be asleep yet, and she knew they would just get defensive at her appearance. She sighed.

"I think it might be as we suspected, Arthur." She said as she sat down on the couch.

"Yes." Arthur frowned and rubbed his chin. "But can we really trust that old book? It was written three hundred years ago."

"It's the only one we have to go off of." Molly responded in a whisper, paranoid that one of their children might be listening. "And besides, how else would you explain what happened to the three of them?"

"There is definitely a bond." Arthur nodded. "I've heard of magic being tied together, but life-force?" He stammered. "It all seems rather extreme for children their age."

"What are we to do?" Molly spoke hopelessly.

"Should I write Dumbledore?" Arthur suggested.

"That old man neglected to inform me that two of my boys were on the brink of famine." Molly's voice rose. "Why should we trust him?"

"He already knows her secret… and he might have access to more information than we do." Arthur reasoned.

Molly sighed. "Can we at least wait a little bit longer? " She pleaded. "Maybe all three of them just happened to fall ill at the same time."

"Don't kid yourself darling." Arthur warned. "We can wait, but I have a feeling that things will only intensify."

…Elvira…

I woke in the most comfortable position I could have imagined. My back was pressed up against George, whose hand sat protectively on my hip. My head rested on Fred's shoulder, his arm spanning out so that it also served as a pillow for George. It was a miracle that he could stay in that position without his arm falling asleep. I accredited magic. I always thought it was adorable that the twins weren't afraid to show affection toward one another. So many boys feared the implications of such actions. But they were too secure in their brotherhood to worry. Fred's other arm was loosely thrown over my waist and his lips rested against my forehead, as though he'd fallen asleep kissing it. It was truly heaven. The only thing that kept me from dozing back off was confusion from being in the center of the room. Typically, I was on either side, the left when I stayed with George and the right for Fred. It was also curious how neither boy was clinging to me in an effort to keep from falling off one of their narrow beds.

I sat up enough so that I could see a comfortable foot of bed space on either side of either twin. And furthermore, both of their smaller beds had completely vanished. George stirred and groaned as he attempted to pull me back down. I complied, but turned my head upward to whisper, "how'd you get the bigger bed?"

"Blackmailed Charlie. He transfigured the two of them together." George mumbled closely into my ear. I let the warmth of his breath relax me back into a position where I could fall asleep. Usually I wouldn't condone blackmail, but in this case it had gotten me something so nice…

"You're both marvelous, I hope you know." I told him. He kissed the back of my head.

"We know, love." I briefly recognized that it was the first time either of them had called me _love_. Perhaps it was something they picked up from watching Charlie at school. As long as they weren't saying it to any other girls, I wouldn't mind.

"Is it permanent?" I asked.

"Mhmm." He dazedly groaned and pulled me tighter against him. I got the feeling that he wouldn't be responsive to any more questions. I nuzzled my face back into Fred's chest and purred with contentment. He roused enough to reach up and rub the space between my ears affectionately. His lips, still resting at my forehead, pursed to form a lazy kiss before he fell back asleep.

Christmas morning came quickly. I woke early to the sounds of Molly starting breakfast downstairs so I knew that we had about a half hour before she'd call us down. It was the perfect opportunity. I climbed out of bed carefully to avoid waking either of the boys and scurried across the room to where I'd hidden two identical packages. I had my own drawer in their room that they had no interest in snooping though, so concealing their presents hadn't been a difficult task. I climbed back into bed and sat between them facing the headboard. Maybe it was the cat in me, but I felt little to no guilt in waking them up.

"Fred, George." I started out in a whisper, but steadily got louder as each attempt failed. I had a hand on each of their chests and was shaking them, possibly with a little too much excitement. Finally, they groaned awake. Fred attempted to pull me down in attempt to make me go back to sleep, but he didn't expect me to be sitting facing him and his arms only grasped air. This was confusing enough for him to open his eyes. "Merry Christmas!" I whisper-shouted.

"Bloody hell, Vira." Fred mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

"Please just lay back down for ten more minutes." George, having yet to open his eyes, reached out with one arm, inviting me to curl back into his chest.

"Well I would, but then the wrapping paper on your presents would get all crumpled." I feigned a pout. The mention of presents was enough to peek his interest. One eye chanced its way open to ensure that I was being serious. I waved the package with his name on it through his line of vision.

"You don't think we should wait to open them with everyone?" Fred asked.

"That was my original plan, but the more I thought about it, the more this seemed like the right thing." I explained. "You don't think they'll be mad, do you?" I was suddenly a little worried.

"No." George shook his head. "I actually think it's a good idea. Fred?"

"Aye." Fred agreed and got up quickly to pull a small package out of one of his own drawers. I bounded up and down in excitement. Fred lovingly tweaked one of my ears as he sat back down.

"Me first." I demanded, holding out a package to each of them. They didn't hesitate to rip apart the wrapping. Inside, they'd both received a hand knit pair of socks, the word _Elvi_ stitched into the soul of each one. They were a bit lumpy and tubular, but it was the thought that counted.

"I didn't expect you'd go through with it." Fred chuckled. When I wrote to them during the semester that I'd learned to knit, their response was that they each expected a hand knit pair of socks with my name stitched into them to prove that I'd done it.

"I'm good to my word." I smiled in return.

"They're fantastic, love." George sat up to give me a kiss on the cheek. Fred copied the action before handing me the package he retrieved earlier.

"It's from both of us."

I carefully removed the wrapping and found a small cardboard box. Inside was a golden ring. It was just a simple, unadorned band but it was smooth and polished. I sort of liked how simple it was.

"It was all we could afford." Fred admitted sheepishly. "Thought it'd match your necklace though."

"I love it." I told them and I meant it. I liked the idea of wearing something that they had given me. I tackled them both back down into the mattress and kissed each of their faces. I turned back around onto my back and we all just laid there feeling content for a moment.

"Can we?" George nodded to the ring and I nodded my head with a small blush on my face. George fished the ring out of the box and Fred picked up my left hand and held it out for his brother. George slid it onto my ring finger and it fit perfectly. I wondered how long they spent in the store worrying about what size to get.

"It's beautiful. Thank you both." I said, admiring it.

"We're glad you like it." Fred kissed my cheek again.

"I think we should try on our own gifts, aye Freddie?" George suggested.

"Great idea, George." They both wiggled into their homemade socks. It took a bit of pulling but over all, they weren't a terrible fit for my first shot at it.

"Cozy as can be." George smiled and wrapped his arms around me, Fred quickly following suit. Just as I thought we might fall back asleep for a few minute, the twins began to tense up.

"What is it?" I could see them looking at each other over top of me, silently communicating. Both of their faces were pained. It seemed to intensify as they sat up quickly, clutching at their ankles. I began to worry that something was wrong with the socks. But surely I couldn't have messed them up that badly. "What's wrong, both of you?" It was over as fast as it began. They sighed in relief and dropped back into the bed, panting heavily. "What happened?" I was confused and worry was building. They were still recovering so I impatiently reached forward and turned back the ankle of one of Fred's socks. A glowing red ring wrapped around his ankle, but was fading quickly. In it's place, a very thin golden line started to develop. I watched as the red faded completely and a metallic hue took its place. The line was as thin as my delicate little ring, but it wrapped all the way around. I turned back his other sock and found the same thing. Then I went to George and found that his marks were identical. "Ok, I swear I didn't do anything." My blushing face had no doubt turned a ghostly white. They finally caught their breath enough to sit up and assess the damage for themselves.

"Looks like we've got some gold rings of our own, Georgie." Fred tried to make his voice sound light, but I knew better. They were freaked out. I was too, but I also felt incredibly worried that I had somehow caused it to happen. I didn't want them to hate me. Sure I kind of liked the idea of marking them, but I would never consider burning something permanently into their skin. That's why I knitted them socks with my name in the souls instead of giving them bloody tattoos! But still, I somehow felt as though I had made it happen

"I swear I didn't do anything on purpose. I- I don't know- I didn't mean-"

"Relax, love." George cut me off. "We believe you."

"But… are you alright?" I started to calm down, knowing that they weren't mad at me.

"The pain is almost gone already." Fred assured me. He ran his hand through my hair and George rubbed my back.

"Why are you both so calm?" I wondered out loud.

"They look kind of cool." George shrugged. I stared at them incredulously.

"I didn't mean to do anything but I feel like this is my fault and… I feel like you should be mad at me." I said, matter of fact.

"No need to get angry." Fred brushed my cheek with his knuckle. "Like you said, you didn't do anything on purpose." His tone rang with complete honesty but I still couldn't believe their reactions. Molly interrupted any further discussion as she made her way through the halls, opening doors and shouting, "breakfast!" Fred and George quickly rolled their socks back up, covering the golden rings.

"Lets not mention this to mum yet, yeah?" Fred suggested. "Until we know if they're permanent and what not."

"Agreed." George nodded. They both looked to me for my approval.

"You're really not mad? Even if they're permanent?" I asked for clarity.

"We're not lying, Vira. Even if they're permanent, even if you somehow caused it. We're not concerned." Fred shrugged.

I was still amazed, but I agreed to refrain from mentioning anything to Molly. We went downstairs and ate breakfast with the family as if nothing happened. Bill and Charlie teased me about my ring, asking if the twins and I were married now. If they only knew about the much more irremovable rings I'd given them. Molly was slightly disappointed that we'd exchanged gifts without the rest of the family, but not terribly surprised. The rest of the day went smoothly. We all stuffed ourselves and played with our presents and generally sat around and acted like a fully functioning, totally not dangerous sphinx blood infused, family.

The marks failed to fade during the rest of winter break. The twins and I discussed it a bit more, but we found no danger or issue with the marks. They seemed completely inert. The best we could figure, they gave me a ring, and through some magical circumstance, I gave them each two back. The boys thought they were cool. They'd certainly be the only eleven year olds with tattoos at Hogwarts. They agreed to keep them covered at all times though. As the holiday came to an end, the time for telling Molly and Arthur about the event came and passed. We knew that they would freak out, and for the time being, it didn't seem worth the trouble. We would keep it to ourselves unless future circumstances demanded otherwise.

The following months were even worse than the previous. I fell ill again not two weeks after the boys went back to school. Fred and George wrote to me that they had also regressed to the same state as before. After receiving a particularly disturbing letter from George, who described an incident in which Nearly Headless Nick mistook Fred for his long departed wife in the middle of the great hall, I decided to take action. I brought all the letters that contained the twins' testimonies of their sickness to Molly. She, in turn, sent a sternly worded owl to Dumbledore. This is how I ended in the middle of a very blunt, and at the same time, very confusing conversation between adults.

We were all sat down to dinner. Mr. Weasley was telling us about something new he'd discovered at work that day, a device called a food processor. Ron and Ginny seemed casually interested. Meanwhile, Molly was keeping a close eye on my plate to make sure that I was actually eating and not faking it. Then, a crash sounded from the living room, followed by a fit of coughing. Everyone got up from the dinner table and rushed to discover the sound. The great wizard stood in front of the fireplace, coughing in a black cloud of smoke. He waved above his head to chase away the fumes. At his feet, two red headed figures, small in comparison, lay crumpled. They were weak but still conscious. I knew this because they both reacted to my horrified gasp.

The twins intuitively moved closer to each other so that when I fell to the ground in front of them, they could engulf me on either side. They looked worse off than I was, which was strange. We had assumed that I would bear the brunt of the sickness because while we were separated, Fred and George still had each other. Never the less, they clung to me as if I was their life source. I knew that they needed something from me. At the time, I had no idea what I was doing. I placed a comforting hand on each of them, focusing all my energy, willing them to feel better. At most, I hoped that feeling my support would help them find strength, but something more happened.

The initial drop off of energy nearly gutted me. I felt what little strength I had left flow out of my fingertips and sink into Fred and George. I thought I might pass out, but I kept my hands planted where they were. I could see the gaunt angle of Fred's cheekbone from where my head was positioned on his shoulder and I felt the fragility of George in the way his arms wrapped around me. They needed this and despite my own health, I was willing to give it.

Miraculously, they reacted by placing their hands on me in return and I felt the energy I gave surge back, but four times in magnitude. It pulsed through my body, caressing every cell, and then flowed back out my fingertips. It came in waves. Each time I sent out higher amounts of energy to the twins, I felt the loss of it. But then, it would pass through their bodies, amplifying within them, and return to me even more powerful.

We temporarily forgot the onlookers in the room. Fred tenderly held my head to his shoulder with one hand and the other rested on my upper back. George sat slightly behind me and wrapped his arms around my torso. As the energy exchange got more intense, I started to feel a little loopy and fuzzy, but still stimulated and alert. I noticed Fred making eye contact with George over my shoulder. Fred then looked to me, silently confirming that we all felt the same things. Fred's pupils were dilated and he looked content despite his sickly appearance. I imagined I didn't look too different. I felt absolute happiness as I looked into Fred's eyes. George buried his face into the back of my neck and I felt perfect comfort.

"Are they having sex?" I distantly heard Ron ask. Molly paled and Arthur sputtered.

"Ew, Ron!" Ginny scolded her older brother, simultaneously putting both hands over her ears.

"They are most certainly not, Ronald. And I'll be having a chat with your older brothers to find out where you heard about that." Molly warned. "Now go back to the kitchen and finish your supper, both of you." She ordered. They both sulked and returned to the kitchen, sitting closest to the door as to still hear as much as possible.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I apologize for my abrupt arrival, please forgive me Molly, Arthur."

Molly didn't give him a chance to be graceful. "Yes well, by the looks of it, if you had waited any longer both of my sons would be dead!" She screeched.

"Molly…" Arthur's sounded as if he meant to real her in, but then he took another glance at us and faltered.

"Just look at them!" Molly insisted. At this point we made an attempt to untangle ourselves and appear as a part of the conversation. It was about us, after all. Our hands still remained in place to maintain the flow, but we sat back a little and tried to look less intimate. "What excuse do you and your staff have for letting them get this bad?"

"In our defense, we've been looking into a solution. If it were something like dragon pox, treating them would be a simple matter. But as I'm sure you've suspected, the only cure was to send them home, which requires paperwork…" Dumbledore explained calmly. I knew intrinsically, along with the twins, that what the head master said was accurate; the only way for us to stay healthy was to stick together. I was a little surprised however, that other people had picked up on the matter as well. The twins and I had never out right articulated the truth or shared our instincts on the matter with anyone.

Molly huffed, cooling down with his logic. "You could have sent us an owl. Something to keep us informed at least."

"Don't blame him, mum. We were trying to tough it out." Fred interjected.

"Tried to hide it. Didn't think it would get bad so fast." George added. His forehead rested on my back as he spoke, his hands slowly rubbing up and down my ribs, shifting the location of his energy inputs and effectively earning my attention. I turned then, switching positions so that I could wrap an arm around George while Fred held onto my back. I was careful not to remove my hands and interrupt the flow. Instead, I slid them to more comfortable spots. A feint golden glow was beginning to form around us. I wasn't sure if it was visible to onlookers or if it was just a part of the high that I was experiencing from the magically enhanced energy that was pulsing though me.

"The bond is strong." Dumbledore spoke. I sobered at the old wizard's comment, my eyes snapping over to find that he was closely observing us. I felt a little self-conscious under his gaze, but above that I felt indignant and protective. What could he know about my bond with Fred and George?

"It's out of control, threatening their lives!" Molly insisted.

"It does seem extreme for children their age." Arthur agreed.

"You're right to be concerned, as their guardians. However, I have reason to believe that there is nothing to be done in the matter. Attempting to stunt the bonding process would prove even more dangerous than the trial they currently face." Dumbledore stated.

"And what reason is this?" Arthur asked, a tad defensive. "We requested access to any relevant texts in your possession months ago."

"Research has been arduous and complicated, I'm sure you understand. Elvira's condition is extremely rare and primarily referenced in myth and children's stories." Dumbledore said in defense.

"Albus, forgive us for being tempered. We're only concerned for them." Molly admitted.

"I would expect nothing less. And I assure you that I am doing everything in my power to ensure their wellbeing." Dumbledore replied. Molly huffed in resignation.

"Why don't you children go upstairs?" Molly suggested to the three of us.

I was tired of listening to them argue over us, as if they had any say in the matter. From the way they were talking, I was certain that some information was being kept from the three of us. I made a mental note to press Molly about it later. No matter what it was though, no matter how much respect I had for my adoptive parents or how wise and renowned Dumbledore was meant to be, I was certain that nothing would stop me from being with Fred and George. Just the thought of someone taking them from me got my adrenaline going.

I tried to appear calm as I stood up with the twins. We scurried up the stairs to their room; our hands linked the whole way. Their beds were still transfigured into a larger one in the center of the room. The fact that they hadn't reverted to their original forms spoke to Charlie's merit as a wizard.

The three of us tumbled into the center of the bed, still being careful not to break contact with our hands. We settled in so that my back was pressed tight to George's front. His arms wrapped around my torso and his face was buried in my neck. Meanwhile Fred lay in front of me, one hand placed comfortingly on my arm, and the other cupped my face where it would have hit the pillow. We all closed our eyes, allowing ourselves to fully take in the full effect of the energy exchange, away from any prying eyes.

"I feel amazing." Fred stated, running his thumb over my cheekbone.

"Mhm." George's muffled agreement buzzed on the back of my neck.

"Do you think other people or wizards can do this?" I wondered.

"No way." Fred said definitively. "If they could, they'd be talking about it all the time." He had a point. If I had any friends aside from the twins, I'd probably brag to them about how great it felt. It was absolute bliss, plus a little more. That's the best way to describe it. I supposed I could tell Ginny about it, but that felt kind of wrong. The only words I had to describe it were slightly sensual in nature and I figured it would be best to avoid speaking about her brothers in that way. I blushed at the thought. We truly weren't doing anything like that, despite Ron's assumption. This was going to be another one of those things that we would have to hide from other people because it only really made sense to us.

"I feel like we touched you too much in front of Dumbledore. I don't trust him." George briefly lifted his head to speak. I turned enough to see his brow wrinkled in worry. He sank back down quickly; still weak and lulled by the effects of what was happening.

"None of us could help it. You were on the brink of consciousness." I tried to make him feel better about it. In hindsight though, I had to agree with him. We generally tried to keep our affection private. It inevitably slipped through the cracks sometimes, but for some reason I felt as though a vulnerable display in front of Dumbledore could give away more information than we even had for ourselves.

"He knows something that he's not telling us. And I think mum and dad know too." Fred said.

I nodded in agreement. "I already plan to talk to Molly about it tomorrow." I knew that if I did it now, the old wizard would have too much power over how the conversation went. Molly was an authority figure, but she also had no reason to lie to us, as far as I knew. Dumbledore was a wild card. "Do you know how long you two are staying?"

George grumbled from behind me. "Dumbledore didn't say, but I reckon we'll stay the weekend." He said it as if his own will would ensure it. I actually believed that it would.

"Do you think you'll be making regular visits for the rest of the year?" I asked.

"We might die if we don't." Fred said it with a laugh in his tone, but there was heavy truth in the statement. I rejected the tears that rose up at the memory of how weak they both looked when they arrived, barely a half hour ago. Already, their faces appeared less sunken. I knew it was the power exchange that was rejuvenating them, or all three of us for that matter.

"Why did you get ill faster than me this time?" I voiced the concern that was eating at me. They both stayed silent. Fred avoided making eye contact. I guessed that the only reason they were quiet was because they suspected the one thing I wouldn't want to hear. "Was is the tattoos?" My voice cracked.

Fred hesitated but I kept my gaze steady on him and eventually he cracked. "After about a week they started burning almost constantly. Not as bad as when they first appeared, but a steady ache. It started off like an itch and then got worse as time went on."

"Why didn't you say anything?" I couldn't help but raise my voice.

"Didn't want to upset you, love." George mumbled remorsefully into the back of my neck. I sputtered, lost for words. I hated that they were in pain and I didn't know about it. And what made it worse is that they kept it from me for my own sake. They knew that I would feel even worse about giving them the marks if I knew they were causing them pain.

"Are they still hurting you?" I asked, finding it easier to discuss the physical aspects of the issue, rather than the implications.

"They stopped hurting the moment we saw you." George confided.

"And did they bother you the entire time you were at Hogwarts, after the first week that is?" I needed to confirm what I already had a hunch about.

"Pretty much." Fred said.

"Wait, no." George sat up a little bit to speak. "It let up a little bit every night around the time we received your letters." Fred tilted his head, considering his brother's observation.

"Huh, I think you're right Georgie. Never put two and two together though." Fred admitted.

I felt deflated. "Great." I puffed out a sigh. "So I didn't just brand you, I practically collar and leashed you." I felt terrible.

"What do you mean?" Fred asked.

"The pain gets worse the longer you're away from me and gets better as soon as we're back together, yeah?" Both of the twins nodded. "It's like I've claimed you. You can't live for too long away from me." Understanding dawned on both of their faces. Fred was clearly considering things as his facial features shifted back and forth between fear, confusion, and something neutral that I couldn't identify. George lay absolutely still behind me. All of our hands were still in place but the energy exchange slowed until it felt like molasses was slowly working its way through my veins. I was waiting for them to pull away from me completely. Instead, Fred let out a dark chuckle.

"I mean it's not so different from before. We came home sick after our first semester, before the tattoos." He pointed out.

"Yeah, but it happened so much faster this time. It's much more dangerous now." I tried to drive home my point: that I was terribly guilty.

"Vira, it seems to me like no matter what, we were always headed in this direction." George said coolly. "Whether it happened because we gave you the ring for Christmas or because of something else, it would have happened eventually."

"But don't you understand?" I was on the verge of tears. "If you ever want to leave me now, you won't be able to. You're trapped and it's my fault because of my stupid Sphinx blood. I know it's because of that!"

"Vira." Fred stroked one of my ears and let his hand trail down my hair in an attempt to calm me. "Honestly, we've been trapped for years. Whatever we have between the three of us, we can't walk away from it and we've known that since we were seven."

I sniffled. "I don't deserve either of you." The tears started to pour, but it was out of happiness. Fred wiped them away with his thumb as he pressed his lips to my forehead. George held me tight as he kissed the back of my head. The energy flow picked back up with a startling wave. By the next morning we would all be completely healed.

 **Coming next time: The conversation with Molly and an explanation from Dumbledore, The end of Fred and George's first year of Hogwarts, and a startling new development in Elvira's condition ;)**


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